You don’t have to buy a Chromebook to get Chrome OS. Using the Hexxeh open source Chrome OS builds, Lars F. Jørgensen built a Chromebook out of an early netbook, the Aspire One A110. With netbooks in Europe dipping under 200 Euros occasionally now (here’s an offer for a current Acer D255 at Amazon, Germany my Affiliate link) it doesn’t have to be old or expensive either.
I’ve posted the article over at Chromebook News as I feel there’s limited ultra-mobile capability in it but it’s interesting to think of Chromium, the browser, on something like Ubuntu or Meego that may not provide the support-free software layer but would provide all the local facilities needed and, as time goes on, some extended power-saving features too.
Many thanks @faarborgs for this guest post.
Do you know if it was possible to dual boot it? I could see dual booting Chrome OS and Windows XP/7 kind of handy actually lol
I did not try out dual boot, since the A110 only have 8 GB SSD drive so there is no room for a second OS, but I don’t see why it could not be done.
Dual boot is possible although my attempt here failed so far, probably because i’m trying to triple boot Windows, Suse and Chrome OS and don’t have enough skill with the GRUB bootloader. There are a number of pages on the net with instructions.
How big was the Chrome install size? Should have been able to get it around 4GB and that leaves plenty for a second light weight OS. Some like Puppy Linux barely need over 100MB of space.
At the very least you could run another OS off a USB or SD card, even without a multi-boot menu you can just hit the Esc key at the BIOS boot to bring up the manual boot menu and select the drive you want to boot from.
I would like to install it on Nokia booklet 3g. Any opinions?
Installing Chrome OS on the Nokia Booklet 3G should work just fine. Chrome OS does not really use all the disk space, and I do not think you will be able to use the 3G modem, but everything else should run just fine.
nice report by the way. nice conclusion to bee drawn too. without connection to the google cloud no use of the stuff. this means being dependent from a) google and b) a costly access provider. in short: chrome os is a money eater like any drug making its user dependent.
Interesting way of looking at it, but I’m not sure I agree on the money part. All of Googles ecosystem is free (when it comes to paying, I know that they drain every information they can from you to use for advertising) and the access to the internet is something most people have already. On the move, WiFi is often free and most newer smartphones can convert into a 3G WiFi hotspot. I know that mobile data is not free, but people brave enough to try out the Chromebooks of the open source version of Chrome OS will have some sort of data plan. Chrome OS is not for the masses yet, Google have already said as much, but in the comfort of the home Chrome OS has a lot to offer all users.
to use the chrome system it is imperative to bee connected. in comparison to this with any other system (OS and applications – with the exception of web usage)one does NOT need a connection to what ever. this means: if one is using a chrome pc one has to pay somebody else (at least a provider for internet access, no matter how a data plan is looking like) in addition, simply for being able to use it (for whatever purpose). this means google chrome is a rent and pay system. no way to deny this. and by the way a very limited one (at least e.g. in comparison to what i am running on my current netbook)
I do agree with you, and yes Chrome OS does need a connection right now, and that is a show stopper.
@Val I have now tested Chrome OS on the Nokia Booklet, and was disappointed to find that it did not work. I did get the old version Hexxeh Flow to boot, but it could not find the wireless adapter. So in short, right now the Nokia Booklet do not work with Chrome OS.